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Crimson Twilight, the Exorcist vs the Vampire
Crimson Twilight, the Exorcist vs the Vampire An Unorthodox Assignment Given, An Ancient Evil Rears Its Head! "You needed to see me, Head Captain?" Kōjaku Kuchiki inquired, as he entered in formal attire, in the middle of the night. The man whom he addressed, Furuidenshō, was sitting before a desk on a wooden chair befitting his modest position, looking at a pile of pictures and a written report. His hands were clasped, and his eyes seemed distant, almost removed from his very position in the office. But then, his hearing corrected that bout of reminiscing, allowing him to raise his eyes up at Kōjaku, as a genuine smile, albeit tired, breached his young visage. "Ah, Kōjaku-kun! I'm glad you've made time to see me," Furuidenshō nodded to Kōjaku, whom bowed with respect, and exchanged a smile of his own, cordially coming before him at his desk. Unfolding his hands, he spread his fingers out before the various shots made of a particular woman, with a hand-drawn mugshot placed above a biography made about her, next to a series of recorded actions she's done, "see anything familiar?" Kōjaku briefly picked up the main file, studying it with his eyes keenly, causing his smile to a direct frown. By the time he completely read it, he began skimming over the pictures, seeing her movements and various shots of her blending in with the rest of the populace. "This certainly isn't the work of a Bount, of which I'm experienced with," Kōjaku spoke aloud, as he continued to analyze the photographs and evidence of her victims, "She's a corporeal entity who isn't human, and is legitimately draining the blood from her victims. Autopsies from the victims of which the R&D Division has clearly shown, however, that their spiritual essence has also left their body, killing them physically and spiritually simultaneously through this deranged process. This race resembles..." "Reikon Kyūban," the Head Captain confirmed gravely, leaning his hand-bridge in front of his mouth, his eyes diverting to the evidence in a strafing manner as he continued, "they are a race that's existed long before the Bounts were even birthed into existence. They are as old as Hollows, and have been the source of ire for both humanity and the Soul Society alike. To humans, they are called Vampires, and have been seen as mythical creatures with various hilarious weaknesses and tales. Though their existence isn't hardly what you'd call a fairy tale, but moreover a veil to cover up their true sinister presence. "Ironically, at some point or another during their genesis, they've been able to transcend normal physical limitations and manipulate the Spiritual Energy within their bodies, much like Soul Reapers or other spiritually empowered humans, like the Quincy folk. However, they were also able to adapt to harnessing powers of Soul Reapers, having once been a minority within the Soul Society before the Divisions were ever conceived as a possibility. Their power, however, never sustained their craving for physical life force, otherly known as blood, from spiritually powerful beings. It didn't matter if they were souls or humans, they'll latch onto any entity with a moderately large quantity of spiritually rich blood, and drain it dry. The downside of this event is that the person is taken out of the cycle, and ultimately destroys that being they suckle from. Soul Reapers were then tasked with the prejudice of eliminating them on sight, and an age-old war began that would pass on for generations to come. To this day, they are fewer in number than before, making them a less of a danger and more elusive than before. However, this one is somehow different," Furuidenshō elaborated. "How so?" Kōjaku inquired, a brow raised with curiosity. "Captain Sasayaki had run into this one at one point, attempting to capture her for study. She narrowly escaped via help from an outside source. Kaze had, since then, kept tabs of her movements. Curiously enough, its been said that she had been in contact with a pair of fellow Reikon Kyūban. Its unknown of their fates, but from the way Kaze read the data, it appears they died. She had drank their blood before their passing," Furuidenshō spoke with a low tone of graveness. Kōjaku understood. Due to the appetite Reikon Kyūban possessed, according to what they knew of them, their powers over spirit energy also increased by the quality of their blood consumption. If these were fellow vampiric entities, whom had also spent many years drinking higher and larger quantities of crimson life force, it was up to speculation just how powerful she was now... "How much strength has she gained, do you suspect?" Kōjaku asked, as he stood straighter with understanding. "She was already a handful to Kaze, so nearly on par with a Captain. If she's increased her powers even two to three times, there's no telling what she's capable of, let alone what kind of havoc she might wrought if she goes on a frenzy," Furuidenshō tapped his right index finger upon the spec sheet of the incident recorded recently from the recored event of the other Reikon Kyūbans' passing, "considering the number of humans and pluses she's drank from, its clear she has a higher quantity need to maintain her strength. Normally I'd assign a Captain for this kind of assignment, but I know your reputation in handling these...unordinary...threats." "I'll leave at once, Furui-san," Kōjaku bowed his head respectfully, turning on his heel to leave the office, "the sooner I exorcize this threat, the sooner I can save what people she plans to target next!" The Hunter Cometh, A Dark Task Carried Out! A man was running though the streets, fear evident in his eyes. “Someone! Help me!” he screamed. Not far behind him, a young woman walked, knowing full well that she could close the gap whenever she pleased. The young woman wasn’t human, but a creature that hunted humans. In fact, she was a vampire. To her, this was nothing more than a formality, as escape from such a creature would be impossible, even in the most crowded streets. No one turned their heads to pay attention to the man, as most couldn’t even see him, for he was a spirit. Unable to continue running for much longer, the man could feel his energy fading with every step. Somehow the woman hunting him had cut the chain binding his soul to his old body, using a strange, decayed sword. he recalled the way she introduced herself, as a monster who sought to kill him if he failed to evade her clutches. And for the time being, it appeared he had. Gathering up what remained of his energy, the man made a mad dash for a secluded alleyway, unaware that the woman was right there behind him almost the entire way, until he made it into the shadowy alley, at which point she vanished.. Finally thinking he was safe, the man slumped against a wall. “My my my. Backed into a corner like a rat.” the woman’s voice came further ahead in the alley, much to the man’s surprise. “I bet you never expected me to get here before you did, right? Did I not tell you that I’m not normal? Ah well, a deal’s a deal. I get to kill you now.” Her words were full of malicious glee. “Nothin’ personal, but I gotta eat, ya know?” “Eat?! What do you mean eat? And what does that do with kil..” the man’s word’s trailed off, unable to overcome the fear the woman inspired in him. He now knew what he faced, but the word wouldn’t come, no matter how hard he tried to say it. Standing in front of him was death, and if she were able to get ahead of him before, fleeing would do little but prolong her little game. “Just tell me. Who are you?!” The woman chuckled. “Since you won’t live to repeat this, my name is Myst Kagekyo, Second Queen of the Reikon Kyūban, otherwise known as vampires. I saved you simply because I wished to see if you were worthy of living on after death, which you unfortunately were not.” With that said, Myst closed the gap in a single second, one slender hand wrapped around her victim’s neck, pulling him into an embrace. The next thing her meal felt was a sense of euphoria, entirely unaware that he was being drained of everything that made him who he was. Finally, Myst dropped him to the ground, leaving him nearly dead. She couldn’t bring herself to honestly kill again, the thought alone made her head spin. Besides, there was no way the man could ever tell even the sparse bit of information she gave him, even if he did wake up again. "Looks like I arrived too late," A masculine voice broke the brief veil of silence that elapsed between predator and prey. The source of the sound came clapping softly, adorning a pair of violet strapped sandles, as a violet-dark blue regally dressed man walked in, with a high-rise ponytail with violet coloration, and a golden-blue hilted blade strapped over his chest and shown over his right shoulder. His eyes drew into a knitted frown of understanding what took place, as his eyes drifted over to the man and then back to the woman. With a hissing exhale, the man spoke queryingly, "Are you the one they call, Myst Kagekyo?" Myst turned around as she sensed the Shinigami close in. "You're not too late. The man is still breathing, still able to be saved with Konso. As for who I am, that hardly seems to be relevant to your being here, captain." she used the title not as a courtesy by as a derisive statement, showing her hate for the guardians of spirits. "Tell me though, who sent you and why? Wait, don't tell me, you're here to kill me, aren't you? C'mon, you can tell me. Trust me when I say this though, I'm not very easy to kill." she mocked, waiting to see a reaction. "I'm not of the Gotei 13, if that is what you're thinking," the Soul Reaper responded impassively, observing with a brief glance at the man, recognizing that his spiritual pressure is low, but not life threatening. Yet. He may die in the coming hour, but he couldn't concern himself with that. Facing him is a dangerous entity, neither human nor spirit. He had to put all attention directly upon her, otherwise he could be caught off guard. Grasping the hilt of his Zanpakutō, he began to unsheathe it with a cool, slow grating sound as his eyes coolly stared back at Myst, "My name is Kōjaku Kuchiki, 29th Head of the Kuchiki Family. My speciality is exorcizing unnatural entities that go outside the bounds of normal Soul Reaper protocol. That being said, I'm here to purify your soul, Reikon Kyūban. Your body will die, but you will join the flow of reincarnation and be reborn as a human being. Surrender and I promise a painless death. Resist, and I shall make it as painful for you as the agony you put your victims through, Myst Kagekyo!" With that said, his Zanpakutō fully unsheathed and held at an upward angle, Kōjaku's being vented an enormous burst of Spiritual Pressure from his being. The sheer weight of it would be beyond the normal assumption that he was of Captain-class, as its violet aura shined vibrantly like a star and the weight around the atmosphere would be heavy, deadly, and full of killing intent. Myst decided to drop all pretense the moment she felt her opponent's spiritual energy. Her gaze turned steely as she readied herself for battle. Releasing her own reiatsu, the air in the surrounding area felt cold, dead and bloody, a simple herald of what was yet to come. The area itself began to darken further, as if the sun had dimmed, despite it being as bright as day. It was in such a condition, she could fight at her best, without the sun damaging her passively. For her, this was nothing more than a test for her new powers, which were only freshly gained. "I don't give a damn what the Shinigami ordered. I'll tell you this, Kuchiki. My survival is already assured. There's not one among your kind that can overcome me, not now. I've gained the power of ages long forgotten, ages you've never even begun to fathom, the wisdom of eternity now flows in my veins. A childish welp like you has no prayer against me." As she spoke, the Queen of Darkness raised her own sword, once a Zanpakutō in its own right, Gesshoku. Because of her soul's nature now entirely that of the vampire she is, the once golden sword became chipped and battered, its once golden color a dulled, rusty yellow-orange.A few noticable cracks ran along the blade. The once vibrant violet hilt wrap shorn and frayed as if handled for eons. Such a decayed weapon perfectly would resemble a sword only the damned could hope to wield. "Please, by all means, prove yourself worthy of that boast of yours. I'll kill you if you don't." The Battle Commences! Master of Light and Mistress Darkness Kōjaku didn't hesitate in lunging to attack. He felt the Spiritual Power brimming from the surface of Myst's body, and he knew if he didn't stop her here, perhaps no one would be able to. His body shimmered with dexterous grace and incredible speed, employing Flash Step to give himself the momentum he desired to bring his sword into proper position. Upon appearing before Myst, he swung down a diagonal slash down towards her, releasing a coalesced fissure of focused physical power and a dispersal of spiritual energy to create a violent arc of violet-white energy. All of it, focused upon the edge of his silently released Zanpakutō. In a single instant Myst blocked the attack, showing no visable effort on her part, the clanging of clashing blades echoed around. Surrounding her blade, there was a torrent of rose-colored spiritual energy which countered the energy released by Kōjaku. As the two powers collided into one another, the friction between their blades created sparks. A moment like this passed before Myst prepared her signature attack, the Tekketsujū. Blood and reiryoku swirled about the tip of her index finger on her left hand. Letting go of her sword to safely prepare the attack, she felt the weight of her opponent's blade begin to force itself down, inching ever closer. Once the Tekketsujū was charged enough, she pointed her finger at Kōjaku, unleashing the torrent of blood-drenched energy. Swirling and churning as it blazed the short gap between the fighters, the infamous blast cast its crimson glow upon every avalible surface, the potent light directed with one purpose, to kill all that stood opposed to the devilish woman who stood behind it. Seeing that she had not been affected by the strike, it confirmed Kōjaku's fears of just how much power she had in reserves. The only calming thing he had in mind was that power wasn't his only strength, and that he had much more of his own to call upon when the time arose. Upon seeing the coalescing crimson light, Kōjaku realized that the energy she gathered wasn't ordinary. He could feel the vapid, cold-liquid appearing energy seem to breathe death as it primed to fire. As his sword weighted down upon hers, he only had one choice: Tactically Retreat. With a burst of dispersing Spiritual Pressure, he propelled himself backwards, wrapping himself in an aura of Tenran energy, increasing the speed of his backpedaling movement away from the large array of red energy seeking to tear him into pieces. Seeing what it did to the wall and the man lying limply next to it, he cringed at what it could do to his own body just as effortlessly. As he skidded a good two dozen meters away from Myst and the tidal wave of blood, he gathered all of the twister energy of Tenran his body had, condensing and fueling it with another pair of Kidō energies. The result turned into a maelstrom of violet tongues of fire and a iota of blue light at its epicenter, while creating a hurricane proportionate cyclone condensed at his fingertips. With a blurring throw from his left hand, hurtling it at the wave of destructive deteriorating energy, he muttered aloud the name of the spell he crafted, "Tenhaishō!" An explosive discharge of a microburst of kinetic-accelerated, wind harnessed, all-consuming fiery energy blanketed over the Tekketsujū, twisting it around into a pillar of magenta energy, twirling around majestically and violently. Within but a few seconds, however, the two all-devouring forces consumed each other, leaving nothing but a thirty meter stretch of ash in between the street alleyway and what was left of the buildings. Myst stood in disbelief. A simple Kidō, without a chant even, was capable of tearing down her trademark ability. But then her eyes drifted to the chaos that, in one moment in time, tore apart the alleyway, leaving only charred earth behind. "With all due respect, Kuchiki, I think we should find a safer place to obliterate one another. A duel in the city doesn't quite sit right with me. Not if a brief use of our talents can do this much damage. If you'll lead to a safer place, I'll gladly follow." She spoke honestly, now having understood how close she was to her opponent in power, that they would need to relocate if their fight were to continue at such a level. "Is she worried about the attention, or does she still have a shred of decency when it comes to collateral damage?" Kōjaku could only wonder as he stood upright in acknolwedgement to the Reikon Kyūban. If these strings of sinful acts were done out of uncontrollable craving and need, rather than malicious desire, perhaps her soul still had enough purity to pass on as a human, and not be condemned to the pits of Hell upon her last moments of life she'll have. Regardless, Kōjaku walked forward cautiously to stand but six meters away from the two of them. Inverting the grip of his Zanpakutō, he placed the tip on the ground while holding up his left hand's two forefingers up symbolically as he spoke, "I'll take you a dozen kilometers outside this city's limits. Its ripe with forestland and its not inhabited by any bystanders." An emerald glow enraptured the ground around them, encompassing a ten meter spread from the point where Kōjaku's Zanpakutō's tip resided as its epicenter point. Within a few seconds, the glow shined brilliantly to the point of nigh blinding glare, before it subsided altogether. A matter of moments, and all the debris and themselves transported into a open meadow, devoid of any real life and onlookers. "Your move, Reikon Kyūban," Kōjaku spoke as he unstuck his blade's edge from the soil and held it forward, upright and prepared for any attack Myst would throw at his direction. Myst had to briefly shield her eyes from the green glow of the transport spell. Once her vision cleared, she noticed she was in an area where she could fight to her fullest without running the risk of injuring innocent fighters. After a moment to grasp the layout of the nearby trees, she did what any normal sword user would think insane and tossed her blade in an arc, straight over Kōjaku's head. Once her blade was in position, she vanished from the area, using Chimai to appear right where the sword was and gripped the accursed weapon's hilt, the deadly tip pointed directly at her victim's head right below its gleaming edge, before dropping straight down, aiming to impale her target, much like Vlad Tepes, better known as Dracula, was said to do. Had Kōjaku been an inexperienced warrior, the trickery and swift follow-up attack would've caught him unaware. However, ever since he collided his blade with hers, he was able to place a defining mark on her Spiritual Signature, making her movements much more distinct and easier to read than prior to his initial attack. Responding to her attack was child's play. Raising his left palm, it seemed as if his skin produced an azure blue orb, stopping the impaling movement from above, uttering aloud in response, "Sekishō!" A disruptive blast of compacted kinetic energy, using the force of her own vertical thrust against her, would send her flying head over heels within the air. Those few moments would allow Kōjaku to rear back his blade, shifting his left heel back and bending forth towards the ground, keeping the flat of the blade against his left thigh. Then, he uttered two words, the first in whisper and the other in a valiant shout. "Getsuga..." SSSSSSSHEEEEOOOOOOW!!! "...Tenshō!!!" Within an instant, a violet-white arc of intense cutting and incinerative energy filled the gap between him and his off balance opponent. The spread of nearly three meters wide, ten meter long fissure of enormous force would vibrantly light up the darkened airspace and penetrate the heavens high above, creating a small crack in the cloudy skies above them. Myst could feel all the force she would have slammed the ground with suddenly reverse direction, repelling her through the air against all common sense. Spiraling and tumbling through the heavens, she tried to correct her momentum. Unable to slow her descent or change course, she smashed into a tree, back first, the massive monolith of wood cracking under the strain of the impact, yet holding firm. Pain seared through her as she tried to pry herself from the splinter-ridden, sap-soaked hole she ended up in. She could feel her body trying to regenerate a snapped vertebrae, the shifting bone fragments piecing themselves together again, like a puzzle. After only a moment, but what felt like a near eternity, the agony began to subside. Looking up, she realized the force of the attack headed for her was beyond her ability to dodge at the moment. Mustering up her energy, she began to chant the incantation for the one spell she knew could, without a doubt, save her from the oncoming death. “Three Powers, Seven Sins. Gaze and Envy at my power. Let nothing escape, and feed on your foolishness!” Rose colored spiritual energy swirled around her, and the moment the Getsuga Tenshō came in contact with the vortex, what appeared to be a pentagonal barrier appeared before her. However, rather than blocking the deadly wave, it repelled it straight back along its original pathway, straight back to the man who used it. SHNK! Seeing the energy immediately evaporate and not form an explosion, Kōjaku prepared to face the oncoming torrent of her own spell. When he saw the exact same fissure of violet-white energy barrely across the horizon, aiming to claim himself as its victim. At this point, he knew he had a few options to handle the monolith of destructive power, but he apted to be a bit...creative...once again. Pushing his hands out before him as he solidified his footing, the palms of his hand emanated an azure shielding light of kinetic and spiritual energy. His heels dug into the ground, a testament to how strong the force he was facing and how relentless it was to devouring its newfound prey. Then, he gripped the fissure of energy, discharging a crimson wave of energy around the column of violet-white light, conforming it, and compressing it. The Kidō power of Geki allowed him to reign in control over the coalescing power of light and spirit energy, conforming it into the shape of a crimson-white sphere. "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens," He uttered aloud as he poured forth his power, causing it to grow into the size of an entire dozen meter radius, now pusling in a vibrant blue hue color. He finished with a powerful shout, slamming his wrists together as his open palms pushed forward in order to release the pinnacle of power he had molded, "Hadō #73, Sōren Sōkatsui!" The difference between the Getsuga Tenshō and this Kidō, would be the difference between a mountain and the moon. When it discharged, the very earth briefly lit aflames within a great radius, turning to ash within an instant the azure fire roared out with an inhuman velocity. Its speed would dwarf any moving matter, barreling towards the forest of which the Reikon Kyūban stood, sending a blinding light in its direction. Even if evaded, the spell of destruction would raze the entire forest she called a temporary haven and footing. Myst could only fathom the force of the spell her opponent had begun to cast. From her time as a Shinigami, she knew the basic structure of Kido, but never got the grasp of the finer mechanics of the art, which she believed to be caused from her true nature interfering with her abilities. She couldn’t risk revealing another one of her own defensive spells this soon into battle. Because of the speed of the oncoming attack, she had no time to run away or chant another incantation to repel the spell heading her way. Gripping Gesshoku tightly, she prepared to slash at the fire-like sphere. There was a risk of the action backlashing, but it would be a chance worth taking. At the precise moment the Kido was just within striking range, she swung with all her might, aiming to split it down the center, letting the two halves veer off at opposing angles, leaving her unharmed. No sooner was contact made than the spell exploded with force that, before her coronation, would have spelt the end of her, at least for the fight. As the smoke from the explosion cleared away, it could be seen that Myst survived the attack, only minor injuries to tell the tale that she was even struck. “C’mon, is that the best you can do, Shinigami? I’ll admit, that was clever, but weak. If your incompetent warlord captains hadn’t gotten complacent with my kind’s supposed extinction, you would have known, even without Hierro, we’re among the most resilient beings. It’s gonna take a lot more than a even a high level Kidō to convince me to treat you as anything worth even feeding from.” Behind her, the forest was ablaze, giving Myst a heinous, almost suicidal idea. The blood pooling in the little nicks across her otherwise pale flesh began to be drawn to her free hand, forming into a small orb which began to pulsate and spin as another chant passed her lips. “Three powers, seven sins, seven virtues. Deny and perish, tormented soul, broken heart. With Hell's witness, the flames of Wrath's pyre, ignite once more!” she intoned as the blood-sphere became a ranging inferno, still yet contained in its form. Even in this state, the energy cost to maintain the spell was enormous, she could feel the drain after a few moments. A second passed as the flames exploded outward, multiple tendrils of crimison flame burst forth, which aimed to trap Kōjaku in their destructive embrace. "She has enough power to split a full incantation Sōren Sōkatsui with the borrowed energy of Getsuga Tenshō? I underestimated the quality of her souless blade," Kōjaku analyzed, upon seeing the explosion envelop the forest behind Myst, giving her a very red and shadow outlined visage, "I guess I'll have to rely more on my Zanpakutō from this point onwards..." Upon seeing her start an incantation, Kōjaku knew he would only have moments before he'd be able to respond against this menace. He only knew so many forms of defense that could cope with the raw destructive power that his enemy could project. But even so, he wanted to keep his more corporeal projections a secret, and allow his enemy to assume his blade simply had a wide variety of Kidō abilities. When he saw the discharge of flames, Kōjaku could only release a smile, as his opponent's method of attack gave birth to the inspired idea. "Reduce All Creation to Ash," Kōjaku whispered, causing the entire blade length to be consumed with yellow, orange, and red tongues as he swung it out towards the mighty tendrils heading his way, "Ryūjin Jakka!" A titanic explosion of flames generated between the two colliding forces of fiery forces, cancelling each other out, leaving a large field of fire and ash-ridden earth. When Kōjaku emerged, his body projected an aura as violently heated as his blade, expanding across the meadow to display the power of "his Shikai" to his enemy, giving her the impression that this was the true form of his Zanpakutō. "If Kidō won't stop you, Myst Kagekyo, then my Zanpakutō will," Kōjaku declared with a cool stare. Upon that statement, he whipped his blade forward, sending a geyser of flames that expanded and wrapped around Myst's vicinity, effectively caging her within a prison of super-heated flames, "Jōkaku Enjō!" Ryuujin...Jaka?! Surely he’s bluffing! Myst was in a panic, no creature, not even an immortal vampire, could withstand even a direct strike from that fabled blade, held in legend as the grandest and most devastating sword in the history of Shinigami. Even now, just those two words sent shivers down her spine. The only question was how that man took hold of the weapon. If indeed it were true, the fires would incinerate her without mercy. Once the flames assumed their cage-like formation, entrapping her entirely, she breathed a sigh of relief. If this was all her opponent would be capable of, no small feat at all, then even the blazing weapon of sheer destruction was not to be feared. She thought about releasing her true power for even a moment, enough to tear down the burning snare that she now found herself in. The thought was ridiculous, to reveal her true form and ability then and there was tantamount to insulting herself. No Shinigami opponent worth her respect ever had the privilege to see that form without Bankai, and even the use of Ryuujin Jakka would not be the undoing of that. Finally, an idea struck her. Energy began to flicker around her hand as she formed another Tekketsujū. The scarlet light condensed into a single point as she took aim and fired. Unlike the previous blast, this Tekketsujū was much more akin to a cliche laser concept, thin and unimaginably fast. The shockwave which trailed the blast as it pierced the blaze happened to be the key to Myst’s escape, the sudden gust snuffed the flames in front of her, allowing her to walk forward to rejoin battle unhindered and unopposed. “I give you credit, your use of the old bastard’s technique was impressive. I commend you for being brave enough to risk your own demise at the hands of the spirit which slumbers within. Never once did I imagine a single Shinigami with the balls to even dare to so much a glance crosswise at it.” If one thing in this world could attract the attention of the Queen of Darkness, it was bravery and pride, something she believed her adversary possessed in spades. Must be the Kuchiki blood in him. ''she thought, leaving unvoiced the question of how Kōjaku managed to get his hands of the oldest fire-type Zanpakutō in recorded history. "There isn't a weapon in history that isn't within my reach, Myst Kagekyo," Kōjaku spoke levelly, his body still basking in a fiery aura that reflected the blade's super heated nature. Even seeing her break away the soil that fueled the fire prison didn't deter him. He could smell fear ebbing from his opponent, and he knew that the weapon in hand was perhaps the strongest offensive force he could muster in his control, "do not mistake this as an inferior, but rather, as an equal to the power that Genryūsai Yamamoto possessed. If you don't believe me now, you'll find out soon enough!" With the legendary Ryūjin Jakka in hand, Kōjaku leaped forward, creating a billowing blast of crimson-orange tongues around where his foothold was, turning it into ash instantly. As if he was a high speeding meteor, Kōjaku appeared above Myst, swinging his blade down to crash into her form, discharging an enormous geyser of flames that would discharge out in a large gait, exploding the earth and turning everything into fuel for the powerful fire coming from his Zanpakutō. The oncoming firestorm would, in any other case, prove trivial, but upon hearing the words her opponent used, Myst knew she’d have to keep on guard. She couldn’t risk doubting the possible truth which was right in front of her eyes simply because she didn’t trust her opponent at all. The fire was real, and that was all the proof she would need to not underestimate the sword. The nature of the attack barring down on her made any conventional defense or retreat impractical or downright impossible, so she prepared to cast a spell, knowing that if the crafted magic weren’t up to par with what she was facing, death was a certainty. The old saying nothing ventured, nothing gained would be the best summary of the moment. She had to use her ultimate defense, an altered Bushō to even thing of having a form of defense and a means to stall for time. “Three powers, seven sins, seven virtues. Collapse, frail heart and shatter as a stone amongst the darkness, lie in your pity and repent for nothing, In Sloth, become one with the shadows!” she chanted, producing the effect she needed. Many rose-colored panes of glass appeared in the space between her and her opponent, entirely filling the gap between them. Upon destruction, the glass would release a burst of energy, designed to slow the speed and senses of whatever broke the pane, and the effects were cumulative, making the offender slower and slower until the final layer shattered. While her opponent was busy dealing with her simply designed trap, she prepared to deal with the threat proper. Once Kōjaku was rendered too slow to evade her counterattack, she planned on separate him from the dreaded inferno-covered sword he held. Taking her stance, she waited, knowing that the moment the second to last layer shattered, she’d have to make her move. Something was wrong. Kōjaku faintly heard her verbal phrase before his body fell fully upon her person. Another spell used for defensive purposes? It was the assumed thing to believe that one spell that converted energy and reflected it back would be used, though foolhardy considering the power and weight behind his sword swing. That's where Kōjaku's sixth sense kicked into full gear, when he saw the glass panes of refracted colorful light manifest. As his blade swung down into its surface, it crumbled and became brittle easily, shattering the first layer without much afterthought. That is, until the wave of energy fluxed and cascaded over Kōjaku's body. It made him feel ill, and his sense of sight, hearing, and direction began to become distorted. The only good thing about the distortion was that it definitely slowed the force of his blade, as it only cracked the second pane as he realized what was transpiring. "A trap spell, feigning as a defense, employed to dampen the enemy's senses? I can't let her hit me in this state. My speed is now halved-" he began saying, before the second pane broke, followed by the third, causing his brow to bead sweat with dawning realization, "a mere quarter estimatedly. It'd be better for me to swing a sword drunk than in this state." It was for this reason, he employed a Kidō spell, that would erupt from the edge of his blade and envelop his space along with the barrier that his sword was touching. Tōzanshō, the inverted pyramid of omnidirectional defense. He would've preferred placing secondary barriers and the like, but he was in no position to employ such a maneuver without slowing himself further. He felt the sword begin to shatter the second to last pane, causing himself to wince, as the momentum he had was unavoidable. But then, he didn't need to use Ryūjin Jakka at this point. His declaration already proved that. So, he opted to switch the flames of fiery death for a far more versatile weapon. Which he would use not on his enemy...but on himself! "'Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu!'''" Kōjaku whispered harshly, allowing the image of his Zanpakutō to bury into the surface of the glass-like barrier just as it shattered and broke both panes. The flames were gone, and the image of his blade was buried into his consciousness. The only thing he commanded it was give him the perception beyond his hampered senses, erasing the affects just as suddenly. Elated with a breath of relief, Kōjaku immediately donned a Kyōkka spell over his person, refracting the light of his Tōzanshō to cover his body's movements as well as hide his presence's spiritual pressure. He knew it would be the only thing he could do before his enemy launched at him as the last of the glass pane barriers were shattered. Category:Kōjaku Kuchiki Category:Furuidenshō Kakkotaru Shin'nen Category:Gotei 13 (Mangetsu20) Category:Kaze Sasayaki Category:Myst Category:Reikon Kyūban